Skip to main content

Computing Industry

Volume 458: debated on Tuesday 13 March 2007

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what policies his Department is implementing to ensure that there will be sufficient qualified graduates to meet the demands of the UK computing industry. (106055)

The Government are committed to increasing the number of young people taking science and mathematics at advanced level and progressing to study science at university and beyond. “The Science and Innovation Investment Framework 2004-2014: Next Steps”, published in March 2006, sets out a range of measures to support this.

The latest UCAS figures showing applicants for entry to higher education in 2007 show an increase of 10 per cent. in students studying mathematics and an increase of 15.8 per cent. in students studying mathematics and computer science combined.

eskills UK, the Sector Skills Council for IT and telecoms, has developed, along with employers in the IT sector, the IT Management for Business (ITMB) hons degree. eskills UK has also developed foundation degrees for the IT, telecoms and contact centre sectors, all designed to ensure that graduates get the combination of business and technical skills that are vital to business today and tomorrow.